Left Tubal Ligation

[Trisha74]

What does left tubal ligation mean?  I have always thought that if you got your tubes "tied" that it was done.  I've never heard of a "left side/right side" tubal.  Anyway, if it just one side; what are chances of getting pregnant?  Thanks!

[peekawho]

Who had a left tubal ligation?  If you have both right and left fallopian tubes, and go in for a tubal ligation, they do both.  

If this was about you, did you read this on the report or something?  Or did the doctor say something that you thought was "left" tubal ligation, and perhaps you are mistaken?

[Trisha74]

Its me.  The nurse was going over my medical records and mentioned the two instances that I have been in the hospital.  One was a car accident some years ago, the other and I quote, "was for your left tubal ligation."  I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I remembered her saying it and now I'm just curious.  I will be making a call about it, but was just wondering if anyone else had ever heard of it.  I always thought that when you had a tubal ligation...that you had a tubal ligation.  Didn't know there were a "side" to it; so to speak.  

[peekawho]

There's not a side...its always both, if someone has two tubes.

Could she have said "bilat" or "blilateral"  tubal ligation?  Sometimes they say that.  

[Trisha74]

No, she said left.

[peekawho]

She was probably mistaken or misread something, or simply said the wrong thing.  You should contact the doctors office and ask for a copy of your medical records, or contact the place where you had your tubal ligation done, and ask for a copy of the operative report.   Its always good to be sure.

There would be no reason to only do one side.  If it were truly done only to one side, you'd be just about as fertile as someone with 2 tubes.  

Another thought is that your record could list the surgery as a "BTL" (bilateral tubal ligation), and she didn't understand the terminology...perhaps she thought the L meant Left.  And was she really a nurse, or just one of the gals who puts you in the exam room to wait for the doc?  If she wasn't a nurse, I could understand the mistake.